Stockport County 1 Crewe Alexandra 3 ( Football League 2) Tuesday 13 February 2024

 

 

 

 

County had a nightmare match at a damp Edgeley Park last night where Lee Bell`s busy Crewe Alexandra team, turned them over with a 90 odd minute exhibition of doing the basics that saw them deservedly claim the Cheshire bragging rights along with 3 points that ,together` with Mansfield`s nine goal romp against Harrogate Town places a serious   road block on the blues pathway to the title and promotion.

Crewe were up for it early, nothing special, but they wanted the ball and looked to do something positive with it whereas County were all over the place- second to every ball that mattered most of the time, and, apart from a brief spell, they never looked remotely close to getting back into the game once the visitors had scored.

Dave Challinor has justifiably taken credit for what has been an impressive season so far, so it perhaps is stating the b******g obvious to say that we should not immediately get on his back, but I am of the view that this defeat is down to him, more specifically to the way he set the team up.

I thought that we had learned our lesson about playing full backs/ wing backs in central defence, especially those of a less commanding physicality, but we went with Ibou Touray in that position when Byrne was available and should have been used instead in my view.

The result was that Crewe bossed it where it mattered when it counted while we are left rueing a missed opportunity to consolidate our position at the top.

The fact that we are still top gives us some wriggle room but not that much as the Stags now have a superior goal difference, breathing down our necks in second place, but DC has earned respect and patience from the fan base and will surely put this right.

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  There was another big crowd inside Edgeley Park ready to make a noise as the game got underway, but it was the packed away blocks on the Pop Side that were making most of it early doors as alarm bells started to ring for County as Crewe sent Rio Adebisi surging through the middle – thankfully he elected to fall down upon reaching the box -Mr Hair the referee waving his protests aside.

It went on with Crewe moving the ball about deep in County`s half where Cass did well to head Elliott Nevitt`s cross clear.

Soon we were 5 minutes into the game and County were pinned in their own half and looking to all the world like lambs to the slaughter as Courtney Baker- Richardson was suddenly slicing through the County cover at speed. The opening goal looked a certainty as he blasted the ball goalward but we had discounted Hinchliffe`s presence in this, and  he had the Cheadle End roaring  with a superb save to keep it at 0-0. But the ball was still in play having run out to Josh Austerfield who looked no less of a threat than had Baker – Richardson, and his first-time effort should have…would have nestled cosily in the net had not Hinchliffe plucked the ball out of the air in amazing fashion.

That was inspirational stuff from Ben, would the team respond?

Well, for 2 or 3 minutes there was no sign of a County rally in fact Crewe doubled down on the attacking play forcing the blues to concede a free kick.

This was swung in at pace by Aaron Rowe to where Mickey Demetriou lurked midst a forest of blue shirts in the box. No one mounted an effective challenge to Demetriou`s initial punt at getting the ball or Ed Turns who then latched onto it before releasing it back to Demetriou to score.

That was both startling and disappointing, but we had 80 odd minutes to put things right but the initial signs in this respect were not good as County won and made nothing of a free kick on 12 minutes that might have served to turn the tide .

That said County did mount a neat press a couple of minutes later that momentarily prompted hopeful thoughts, but the move fizzled out as Tanto`s shot drifted wide- the hopeful thoughts fading away thereafter in a blizzard of loose play by the blues that saw the pressure back on them via a series of corners.

Horsfall and Powell did well in seeing danger off from these but after the clearances- nothing emerged further up the park!

And still Crewe racked up the corners forcing County to defend ever deeper, and we were fortunate to see Austerfield drill his shot, on 25 minutes, a foot wide with Ben exposed.

It was depressing stuff, and then a twitch from the apparent County corpse as Tanto went close about 10 minutes later………..

I had hardly taken that in when the` twitch `became something altogether better as County got the equaliser.

It was a rare moment of quality in an oasis of dross from the blues and the pivot was Nick Powell whose reverse pass to Sarcevic split the Railwaymen`s defence asunder. Sarcevic was in and the ball was heading across and possibly in goal when Tanto applied a strikers finish to it with precision.

That was a very decent goal indeed and definitely something upon which to seek to build!

Powell was on song now and Madden was unlucky not to profit from another superb ball from the County number 11 a couple of minutes later.

That was encouraging but unfortunately instead of building on those foundations we gave the appearance of having dozed off and, on 43 minutes we paid the price as Demetriou was allowed free rein to cross the ball into the box where Turns headed home .

We were 1-2 down and deservedly so!

I got a touch uptight in what remained of the half when the referee ( or rather the replacement Referee as the fourth  official took over when Mr Hair did his ankle close to the break) neglected to punish Matus Holicek for a crude assault on Horsfall  that would have seen him do time if perpetrated on the high street.

Sad, but no sadder than much that had gone on before this – we sorely needed a reboot after the break!

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Half Time Entertainment , from Bob Dylan ……..

 

https://youtu.be/bpZvg_FjL3Q?si=yQaPlhZU-ymui81M

 

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The aforementioned sought after re-boot looked on as the second half started with Bailey, Camps and Byrne on for Evans, Croasdale and Bristow but, within 6 minutes we were wading thigh deep in the brown stuff again as Crewe removed the final element of doubt as to the destination of the points from this game, with a third goal!

It all started with a Rio Adebisi corner that should have been wellied clear- it wasn`t, instead we gifted the ball to Austerfield who wasted no time in slamming the ball home from the edge of the box!

That seemed like finality as far as the game was concerned, and Crewe continued to turn the screw on County keeping Hinchliffe fully employed between the sticks for the blues.

In response County`s play continued to be loose and careless- our passing slow and predictable. It was not that we couldn`t get possession it was that we had little idea ( except sideways/ sideways/ back) what to do with it when we had it!

Before long Sarcevic gave way to Wootton and Powell to Hippolyte – Hinchliffe still a busy lad keeping an effort from Demetriou out beyond the hour.

Camps had a go a couple of minutes later, but his drive was easily dealt with by Crewe`s under worked keeper Harvey Davies, and a similar effort by Bailey never troubled Davies going wide.

But, that said, after taking much pressure via a series of throws that pinned them back in their last third, County at last showed a desire to  make a mark on a game seemingly lost.

Twice in rapid succession it took despairing action by Demetriou to stop County profiting – hacking out under pressure one moment….sticking a leg out to deflect a Madden shot over the bar the next.

So, we were ( at last) trying but the corner came and went with Davies untroubled – I was looking for joined up` play from County  the sort they have produced time after time this season including on Saturday, but despite much possession this aspect was absent  from County`s play.

Crewe had it to spare but did not have to work overly hard to see out the game and the win thereafter.

Turns offered us an unwelcome distraction in cahoots with Mr Eley( our replacement ref) in the games dying embers by again hauling Wootton down just outside the box – annoyingly again being rewarded with a free kick.

It was ever thus of course but so…so annoying as I say!

County continued to look for something from the game in what remained of it - Crewe relaxing into defensive mode in response.

Madden saw a shot fly wide on 89 minutes….Tanto headed wide as Bailey slung a cross in on 93….. Byrne giving Davies his final work of what for him would have been a fairly relaxed evening by lofting the ball to the back post where the keeper made light work of claiming the ball.

Game over, match lost!

The disappointment will linger for a while but a re-boot and re focus will be essential if Tranmere are not to profit this weekend.

The only prerequisite from me is please…please …centre backs at centre back  ……not full backs or wing backs !

Other than that, we get behind the team and trust the Manager!

Oh, before I go a word about Crewe`s support last night- it was consistently loud and ...yes...supportive of their team. Unfortunately , as far as behaviour is concerned it was massively disappointing to see how the away seating and the bogs were trashed last night- shame!

 

 

Stockport County line up :-

Hinchliffe , Cass , Horsfall , Touray , Bristow ( Byrne 46 ) ,Croasdale ( Camps 46) , Sarcevic ( Wootton 55) , Powell ( Hippolite 62) , Madden , Evans ( Bailey 46) , Olaofe.

Subs not used : Smith , Bennett.

 

Crewe Alexandra line up :-

Davies , Adebisi , Demetriou , Offord , Baker- Richardson , Turns , Holicek ( Tracey 63) , Nevitt ( Kirk 81), Rowe ( Cooney 92), Austerfield , Billington.

Subs not used : Westwood , Leigh , Agius.

Attendance : 9363 ( 906)

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